Housing 10 Brandtii In Same Tank.

[Diogenes]

Fins, scales and insects are primary diet choices for mid to smaller Brandtti's. When they are adult size, they mostly eat whole fish. You can check the 2 references I mentioned earlier in this thread to veryfy.
Yes. over time they will take out the weakest until one is left. If these were adult size, most would probably be badly injured by now. I tried 10 baby rhoms in 180 and basically they started their territories and began the process of elimination. After 2 deaths, I sold the rest and ended the co-hab. In another instance, one observed in a pet store where often they will put a bunch of baby rhoms together due to lack of tank space, this tank was bare of decor and each 2 inch rhom kept a defined territory of their own and repelled and chased any other that would venture near their imagined boundaries. Clearly this was a tank heading for a disaster.

Yeah at one of my LFS there were two tiny tiny like 2-3" S. rhombeus's in a 75 with a divider. One of the little guys jumped over the divider, wedged himself in between I guess the light bulbs, or the hood or whatever, and then squirmed his way over the divider to the other rhoms tank. He then preceeded to eat all the fins off the other rhom before the staff realized what happened. They don't like each other very much.

The crazy part was that a couple months later both rhoms looked pretty much the same size and healthy. All the fins had regrown on the injured fish. They're amazingly resilient.

 

[Ohio Entusiast]

Get pictures up! I'm breeding Macs now, so I know how hard it is just to keep them together.

Dude...You seem like exactly the type of keeper I'd want to see active on my website/forum once I finish it. I'll check with the administrator/moderators and see if it's cool to post a link.

How long into it are you? What size tanks? What size/number of fish are you doing? What kind of results so far? I have a 1,00 more questions as well <G>

I was originally going to go with Macs simply because they breed fairly readily from what I've heard and read. Then thought I need to do something more uncommon and was going to go with Sanchezi's because I had just bought one and would be that far ahead of the game. Then, as I was talking with a rather prolific importer/breeder I walked into an incredible deal on the Brandtiis. They probably have the largest lack of general information, let alone breeding info so I thought that'd be a hell of a way to start. I work at home, online so I can monitor them 24/7 should a problem arise. Otherwise I never would have tried.

I'm going in the morning to hopefully barter my way into a 230 gallon tank. If I end up with it I'm thinking of setting it up with Sanchezis. I'm not really interested in breeding anything at this time [although I think my Pygos are getting ready to lay.] I just want to see Serrasalmus together and happy first and then go from there.

 

[Diogenes]

Dude...You seem like exactly the type of keeper I'd want to see active on my website/forum once I finish it. I'll check with the administrator/moderators and see if it's cool to post a link.

How long into it are you? What size tanks? What size/number of fish are you doing? What kind of results so far? I have a 1,00 more questions as well <G>

I was originally going to go with Macs simply because they breed fairly readily from what I've heard and read. Then thought I need to do something more uncommon and was going to go with Sanchezi's because I had just bought one and would be that far ahead of the game. Then, as I was talking with a rather prolific importer/breeder I walked into an incredible deal on the Brandtiis. They probably have the largest lack of general information, let alone breeding info so I thought that'd be a hell of a way to start. I work at home, online so I can monitor them 24/7 should a problem arise. Otherwise I never would have tried.

I'm going in the morning to hopefully barter my way into a 230 gallon tank. If I end up with it I'm thinking of setting it up with Sanchezis. I'm not really interested in breeding anything at this time [although I think my Pygos are getting ready to lay.] I just want to see Serrasalmus together and happy first and then go from there.

So other than geryi what are the most common serra cohabs. I'm planning on getting a huge tank when we move, and I've thought about trying to breed serras. I've heard that you can cohab spilos fairly easily, and that some people even mistake them for pygos because they shoal. I don't have any first hand knowledge of this. What do you guys think?

 

[Ohio Entusiast]

I'm by no means an expert but from what I've heard and read, Macs are fairly common, Spilos and Sanchezis. I'd give my left lung [what's left of it anyway.] for a tank of Geryiis but I can't seem to find any that are anywhere near affordable. One day though....

 

[JoeDizzleMPLS]

i wouldn't say that any serra cohab is "common", but macs have been done, so have geryis and sanchezis.... if properly researched and done correctly (and for the right reasons), i think cohabs are a great thing to try.

there is a big difference between people that do the research, talk to other keepers, realize the risks and the large possibility of failure, and are actually going to put in the time and effort to make it work while also having the tank and equipment required for a good attempt and people that just want to throw multiple serra species in the same tank or mix pygos and serras just because they think it looks cool or want to have a bunch of fish but don't have a bunch of tanks or those that are simply too stubborn to listen to solid advice.

 

[Ohio Entusiast]

I couldn't agree with you more. That exactly where I'm coming from and believe me, I did my homework on this.

It get's annoying when ''everyone'' repeatedly tells you it can't be done and yet it has been done. I know a few such people who have cohabited/bred Serrasalmus but stopped posting anything about it because of all the negativity they saw when they did post about it.

It's sad the amount of information ''lost'' due to the naysayers....

 

[pdsmith]

when do you think you'll have pics up? also idk if i just missed it but what size tank is this in? also if your shoal stabilizes will you try breading?

 

[JoeDizzleMPLS]

I couldn't agree with you more. That exactly where I'm coming from and believe me, I did my homework on this.

It get's annoying when ''everyone'' repeatedly tells you it can't be done and yet it has been done. I know a few such people who have cohabited/bred Serrasalmus but stopped posting anything about it because of all the negativity they saw when they did post about it.

It's sad the amount of information ''lost'' due to the naysayers....

i feel ya man... i will say tho that there are alot of people that say not to do it because they have had to tell so many people (people new to the hobby) over the years. i know that i get sick of arguing over the same things with stubborn beginners.

like i said, there is a big difference between people that approach it correctly and those that are just stubborn and think they know everything and sometimes people jump the gun and say no to people that really want to give it an honest go. i hate all the misconceptions out there and i'm sure you've seen me argue those points on this forum.

there are some things that i really think newer members of the hobby should do to help increase their chances of success, but most of those rules can go right out the window once they have some real experience down the road. so i think that most people have good intentions when giving out advice, but, like i think you said in another thread, each situation needs to be evaluated separately so the best advice and suggestions can be given.

 

[jp80911]

anyone has any info on at what size rhombeus is sexually matured to breed? just curious

 

[Diogenes]

hey OH,

don't know what the weather is doing out your way, but i think you should try something, in a couple months if they're too new now.

Start by letting the tank go a little south. Feed a super high protien diet, and some live foods for about a month leading up to it. Let the nitrates build up to about 25ppm, raise the temp up to about 83 or 84 and leave it like that for about a week. Then the next time a storm comes through and the barometer drops, start dong partial water changes with water thats about 4 degrees cooler than the tank temp. If you have a watering can for plants, try pouring the new water in through that can to simulate rain. Continue PWC's until 100% of total volume has been changed. Continue feeding high protein and live foods. Might not do a thing, but rain cycling a tank like this can make SA tanks go crazy and start breeding like rabbits.